(CNN) – The ongoing battle between the White House and Karl Rove continued Tuesday morning, with the former Bush aide accusing President Obama of outright hypocrisy when it comes to campaign finance transparency.

"For the president to say a legal and lawful action by private groups, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the United States, when he himself is relying on political groups….the president is being hypocritical about this," Rove said on ABC's Good Morning America in response to recent attacks from Obama and Vice President Joe Biden over the fact that a group Rove has raised money for – Crossroads GPS – does not disclose its donors.
Crossroads GPS has spent millions on political advertising this election season but does not have to reveal the names of their donors to the Federal Elections Commission because it is structured as a tax-exempt "social welfare" 501(c)(4) organization. The group has faced allegations it is bending campaign finance laws because of its involvement in political activity despite claiming to be a so-called "social welfare" group.

"[Obama] had no problem at all with this when groups were spending money on his behalf in 2008 and not disclosing donors," Rove also said. "He had no problem not disclosing his own donors - tens of millions of dollars to his campaign whose donor names were not revealed. And now he turns around and takes up because Republicans are doing the same thing Democrats have been doing for years."

The most recent charge against Rove came from Biden Monday night, who during a Pennsylvania rally said, "I challenge Karl Rove to tell me that this money isn't coming from billionaires and millionaires, insurance companies, oil companies, major executives, who have about as much in common and concern with the people or northeast Pennsylvania as I don't know what."

Thanks to the donor anonymity that Crossroads GPS was allowed to provide, the group has reportedly been able to raise millions of dollars at a faster clip than traditional political organizations that are required to disclose donor names. Crossroads GPS and its parent organization American Crossroads – have set a goal of raising $50 million ahead of the midterm elections.

Rove, whose name alone engenders anger among the Democratic base, has increasingly become a punching bag for the White House as the midterm elections draw near.

Campaigning for Illinois Senate Candidate Alexi Giannoulias last week, Obama declared, "Right here in Illinois, in this Senate race, two groups funded and advised by Karl Rove have outspent the Democratic Party two-to-one in an attempt to beat Alexi – two-to-one. Funded and advised by Karl Rove."

"So the question for the people of Illinois is, are you going to let special interests from Wall Street and Washington and maybe places beyond our shores come to this state and tell us who our senator should be?" he continued. "Chicago, prove them wrong."

soundoff(126 Responses)

Terry

Karl Rove and other Republicans who stood idle and allowed the invasion of a sovereign nation, the use of falsified national intelligence to justify the Iraq War, the deregulation of the American Banking System, which created the collapse of Wall Street and the American Housing Industry, should be ashamed. History will prove, beyond any doubt, that Karl Rove is a crook. Rove did not rob banks for a living, he just facilitated greed and corruption that put 9.5% of American Workers out of work. How many jobs were shipped overseas during the Bush and Rove Era? That is the number you want to know.

October 12, 2010 09:51 am at 9:51 am |

KatR

When a campaign coffer contains millions of dollars, especially in these times of economic uncertainty, it looks suspicious. I strongly doubt that citizens struggling to keep a roof over their head and food on the table have extra money to donate to a political campaign. The wealthy of this country are sitting on their wealth and doing nothing with it to get America going again. Nooo...they're counting on the GOP to further their goal of replacing the govt our founders created with a plutocracy. And that is why they are spending their money on GOP candidates. Vote Democrat.

October 12, 2010 09:54 am at 9:54 am |

ThinkAgain

Rove is desperate to regain control of our country. He and Dick Cheney were the ones in charge under GW Bush and he wants nothing more than to return to a position of influence so he and his cronies can complete their goal of eliminating the Middle Class, turning all power and money over to the wealthy top 2%, and making our country into a third-world nation.

His claims to be a "Christian" and a "patriot" are the epitome of hypocrisy – as any thinking person knows.

October 12, 2010 09:55 am at 9:55 am |

Mike D

Utterly rediculous claims on the part of President Ovbama and Vice President Biden but desperate people take desparate measures. Heck the democrats spent all the money already so it has to come from somewhere else making it somewhat entertaining to consider that perhaps communist funding is fighting the communist ambitions of the current administration.

October 12, 2010 09:55 am at 9:55 am |

iCanHazTeeParti

our democracy is ruined. i welcome our corporate overlords.

October 12, 2010 09:55 am at 9:55 am |

ThinkAgain

This from the man who called anyone who criticized his puppet, GW Bush, un-American, un-patriotic, anti-God and aiding our enemies?

Rove is a despicable little creature and a bully. And completely representative of what the Republican Party has become.

Stand up to the likes of him, America! Come November, vote Democratic!

October 12, 2010 09:56 am at 9:56 am |

Ed L

I wish this troll would shut up. All of Bush's henchmen should shut up, especially this closet case.

October 12, 2010 09:56 am at 9:56 am |

Shari from Madison

He has the nerve to call President Obama a hypocrite. He's the hypocrite. He is the liar and the fool. He is a bigoted idiot who thinks his way is the only way and anyone who does not buy the garbage that comes out of his mouth is little more than dung on his shoes. Please people do not listen to this self-righteous idiot!!!!!!!

October 12, 2010 09:57 am at 9:57 am |

kakaraka

Bla bla bla, Rove. Obama doesn't say he is against private donations. But he just want you to disclose them since they are coming from special interests and foreign companies to influence votes and steal our democracy. Obam disclose all his donors. It's sad the IRS give non-profit status to these morons of Rove. Non-profit organization's role is to promote social welfare but Rove is promoting hate, anger, lies, misinformation and GOP political talking point. They should close this non-sense and special interest group that is simple GOP political organization deguised in non-profit entity. Does the American people forget Bush, Cheney, Rove?

October 12, 2010 09:57 am at 9:57 am |

Chumlee

To Carl Rove: Stick it where the sun does not shine!

You are the hypocrite who hates America and lies and distorts and hides under the "social welfare" tax status
to funnel foreigm and US corporate funds into attack campaigns.

IRS: iNVESTIGATE THIS LOW LIFE

President Obama: push on against this dirtbag – you are our President. How dare this neocon attack the President
of the United States

October 12, 2010 09:58 am at 9:58 am |

katiec

Well, CNN, if it's not Palin, it's Rove, if not Rove one of the republican politicians constantly getting your headlines.
Wish you would show the integrity to even out your headlines but that is not going to happen, is it.
Rove is the king of sleeze, switfboating, bending the rules, outlandish lies and accusations and most certainly does
not deserve the headlines and attention you give him.
Between your sidebars on this web, and the headlines, it leaves no doubt that you are trying to sway the election
towards your right wing agenda.

October 12, 2010 09:59 am at 9:59 am |

Drew

This from the man that took us to war on the basis of lies.
Rove needs to crawl back under that rock he came out from under.
Permanantly.
We do not need his kind in American politics.
Why does he even merit media attention beyond the coverage of his dreadful history of incompetence and ruthless ambition at the cost of American Society?

October 12, 2010 09:59 am at 9:59 am |

CBR

Karl Rove has a career based on is ability to get the Republican war chest filled and overflowing. Now he can do so with a fund which is not public. The American people do not have to know where he is getting the funds. These funds make people like Karl Rover more powerful than they should be. The playing field is crowded with groups with these oversize budgets.

Years ago Karl Rove was a shaker and a player for the Republicans. News articles regaled his political power. He would like his power back. In fact, Mr Rove represents the down side of politics and political races. This notion that these groups can fundraise and not let the public know where the money is coming from is counter to America beliefs. This is closed political campaigning at its worst.

October 12, 2010 09:59 am at 9:59 am |

RoveIsAPig

Oh Rove, go crawl back into the dirt cave you crawled out of.

October 12, 2010 10:00 am at 10:00 am |

Lori in St Pete

Perhaps President Obama's campaign didn't disclose donors because most of the $$$ raised for his campaign was from individual donors donating less than $100, and therefore didn't require names. The chamber and crosshairs are laundering $$$ from foreign doners. rove is hoping the American people aren't intelligent enough to know that. He's in for a rude awakening.

October 12, 2010 10:01 am at 10:01 am |

billyboy

rove is so rightous

October 12, 2010 10:02 am at 10:02 am |

ST

We hope Karl Rove the message was received. "STOP STEALING DEMOCRACY FROM PEOPLE" Simple and clear!

October 12, 2010 10:03 am at 10:03 am |

joe

Rove is absolutely correct. Obama never revealed where he got all his money in 08. He also has neverrevealed where he got all themoney to go to Harvard. big question people. who spent money on his education? Where did all themoney he collected in 08 come from??? Mr President when you disclose those items then maybe the Rove might tell you and then again might not. none of your business. You and the all the Democrats running for office are funning scared. no on running is touting what you say you accomplished. As a matter of fact they are denouncing you and saying your policies have failed. The elections reuslts cannot come fast enough and neither can 2012 when you are booted out of office for your elitist , left wing socilalist policies.

October 12, 2010 10:04 am at 10:04 am |

Dale

Obama is just your typical politician. It's OK for his side to do things but let the other side do it and democracy is falling apart. President Chavez, oops, I mean Obama, would have no problem signing a law that only people and groups supporting Democrat candidates would be allowed to donate to campaigns.

October 12, 2010 10:04 am at 10:04 am |

rob

So Rove defends his organization with the obvious fact that it is perfectly legal and President Obama was the recipient of millions of these same $'s during his campaign for pres and the Dems are currently receiving the same type of donations only less than the Repub's. Pretty easy to see the hypocracy here from the Dems but all DNCNN does is repeat the Dems charges over and over and over without the proper ballance.

The desparation from the Dems is blatent and the liberal media is is doing what it always does but the American people are smarter and better informed than ever and we will prevail.

October 12, 2010 10:04 am at 10:04 am |

SP

So if Rove protests, he's "protesting too much?" Come on...

Could someone explain to me what Rove did that made you neolibs froth at the mouth with anger? I lived and worked through the evil BU$$$$$H years, and for the life of me, I can't recall anything extremely hideous Rove did. Please refresh my memory. Don't forget to exclude all the Patriot Act stuff since Obama has expanded on it since he's been in office. Bush never had 100 czars with the power to shut down banks or the Internet at a moment's notice. Any complaint about that would just be silly and make zero sense at this point.

October 12, 2010 10:05 am at 10:05 am |

Annie, Atlanta

This is priceless, coming from the likes of Karl Rove. Does he not know we've been on to him for years? Buying elections and swaying voters with hate and fear is all he knows. And the president, who is trying to clean up years of this man's mess, is a hypocrite? Seriously? Like I said, priceless.

October 12, 2010 10:07 am at 10:07 am |

kevin

It's hard to take serious a man with the nickname of "Turdblossem"

October 12, 2010 10:08 am at 10:08 am |

Angelica

GOP's religion is: Stall all the creating jobs bills in the senate, no jobs no Obama, and their Jesus is Karl Rove. Republicans couldn't fell lover. They are bunch of petty people.

October 12, 2010 10:09 am at 10:09 am |

ATL Guy

If you're group is structured as a social welfare program, how does it go about raising money for political ads? Doesn't this just seem a little odd? Is that allowed? How does running attack ads equate with being a social welfare program? Why isn't someone challenging the status of this group?